Moment in Time
by colorguard-girl
Summary: Bella discovers something shocking lurking in her attic.  What could a simple piece of paper tell of her past and mean for her future?


**Hi, sorry I've been out of commission for so long but I've finally graduated high school**.** I wrote this one-shot to get me back in the swing of things and should start my next chapter of When It all Falls Down soon. Please review and tell me what you think I rather like this one-shot. It's rated 'M' because of very sensitive themes but it doesn't go into detail. Please Review!  
><strong>

It's amazing how in a moment of time your life just seems perfect but in the next second everything gets shot to hell. I never dreamed that everything I ever knew was completely wrong, that I had been lied too and betrayed my whole life and by my own parents as well.

My world imploded before my very eyes three weeks before my marriage to Edward was supposed to take place. I was home climbing into the dust riddled attic, I was going to look thru my old photo albums and find pictures for a slide show Alice wanted to do. The Cullens' were also here along with my mother. Rosalie and Emmett were up with me, Emmett of course wanted to find things from my very young childhood to tease me with and Rosalie didn't feel comfortable anywhere unless she was with Emmett. Esme and Alice were with my mother discussing the wedding as the rest of the men were trying to get Charlie to like Edward again - not an easy task.

I was also looking for a pink and yellow blanket that my grandma Higgenbottom had knitted for me before her death. I had always loved that blanket and it had held a certain charm to it that always made me feel very comfortable. I knew I couldn't take everything from my past when I became a Cullen; but I knew without a doubt I wanted to keep this.

I found the blanket easily under it though was a newspaper clipping. Intrigued as to why something as a newspaper clipping would be in a box holding my baby things I took it out to read. It was a very sad story but never gave any hint as too why it was with my stuff. In it a fourteen year old girl was pregnant with a baby made from rape. The girl and her parents were traveling into Seattle so she could get a very late term abortion -she was already eight months pregnant- and back in her time that wasn't something that the public accepted easily; still wasn't even in today's time. The rapist's brother found out and crashed his car into the family's van killing the girls parents. The girl passed away at a later date due to complications from the accident, it was assumed the baby had died with her. I frowned but shook my head from those thoughts and instead started to search thru my baby book, one of the only projects it seemed that Renee ever finished.

Once I had everything I wanted, I got up and dusted the knees of my jeans off, Emmett was busy laughing at my awkward pre-teen days. I started to the ladder leading down to my room where I tripped over a discarded toy and knocked into some highly stacked albums. I landed on my hands and knees, Emmett's snickers at my expense were easily brushed off as I noticed a very official piece of paper sticking half way out of a folder. I pulled it all the way out, my eyes swept over the paper taking in it's meaning. My eyes widened as my breaths grew ragged. I stumbled up and raced down the ladder jumping down after only a few steps to eager to learn the truth then worry about my safety.

"What's her problem?" Rosalie's muffled voice called from the hole I just came from.

"I don't know." Emmett responded.

I ran down the stairs my eyes half crazed as they zeroed in on Renee laughing with Esme and Alice over something. Carlisle, Charlie, Jasper and Edward walked in just as I reached the landing Jasper shot me a concerned glance as he absorbed my distressed emotions. I rushed over to the kitchen table and butted in between what Esme was saying and slammed my hands down on the table, the old parchment bringing a look of utter fear upon Renee's face.

"Am I adopted?" I demanded my voice hard. Everyone's shocked gasps filled the now quite room, Emmett and Rosalie entered the room silently.

"Bella-" Renee started, but I cut in.

"No damnit I don't want an excuse I WANT a yes or no answer. Am. I. Adopted." I punctuated my question with a fist coming down on the kitchen table again. I didn't even wait for an answer before continuing my rant.

"Because according to this 'Certification Of Adoption' one Mia Marie Chase was adopted to a Charlie and Renee Swan. That was my name wasn't it? My birth name? How- How could you keep this from me for eighteen years, hell it seemed to me as if you had planed to never tell me at all, this was buried so far under useless things it was pure luck I just so happened to have found it." I yelled flinging the paper about. I jerked from the table and went to the other side of the kitchen as the first of my tears started, I didn't want everyone to see my hurt.

"Bella-" Charlie started to me, his voice filled with sorrow. He tried to put a comforting hand on my shoulder but I just yanked away from him furiously wiping away my tears.

"Don't touch me." I demanded my voice cracking. I went over to an oddly placed chair and sat down, my elbows resting on my knees and face buried in my palms, I started to sob in earnest unable to keep my sadness bottled up. I felt a cold hand rubbing my back soothingly, I looked up into Edward's soft topaz eyes. My chin trembled as I tired to collect myself but I quickly abandoned and collapsed into Edward's embrace. His strong cold arms caught me and his hands threaded themselves threw my hair massaging my scalp.

"Shh Bella, everything is going to be alright." Edward soothed but I shook my head in the negative.

"No it won't Edward, everything I thought I knew is a lie. Even my name is a lie." I sobbed. Edward picked me up and placed me in his lap just letting me cry.

"Bella, please I know your father and I have hurt you by keep this from you. Please sweetie just coming into the living room and Charlie and I will explain everything." Renee cried. I heard the chair squeak and Charlie's heavy foot steps as they walked into the living room. I didn't get up to follow.

"Come Bella lets go hear what they have to say, you should know." Edward finally convinced me. I nodded softly and reluctantly got up and followed Edward into the living room. I sat on the couch desperately clutching Edward's hand to my chest. Esme sat next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders in a show of solidarity.

"When Charlie and I first got married we moved to Seattle to be closer to collage. While Charlie was at the police academy I worked and volunteered as a candy stripper. A debate had taken the nation by storm as a fourteen year old girl by the name of Stephanie Marie Chase was traveling with her parents to get a late term abortion right in our city, there were rumors around the hospital that they were coming to our very hospital.

Many people in our country were split some supported her decision because the child was conceived thru rape but the other half claimed that life was a life. You were that baby. The rapist's brother had heard about what Stephanie was planning to do and didn't like it so he tried to run her off the road. He succeeded and killed Stephanie's parents and himself. It seemed at the time that Stephanie was uninjured. I was working when she was brought in, we were so understaffed they asked if I could help.

I was in the room when the doctor discussed performing the abortion right then and there, saying that they could say it was a natural miscarriage caused by the accident and protect her from any ridicule. She refused Bella, she loved you so much already.

It was her parents who were forcing her to get the abortion, with her being fourteen she didn't have much of a say of things, but with her parents deceased it was now her option. She had tried to keep the pregnancy a secret from her parents knowing what would happen but because she suffered from PTSD from the rape, it got out regardless. During the night she had gone into labor and then had you, she survived an hour after your birth but died because of internal bleeding that went undiscovered until it was too late.

You were a premature baby and with no relatives who could take you in you became a ward of the state. After a few weeks a staff member let out that you had survived and your name, soon death threats started coming in. One person got uncomfortably close and it was decided that we needed to find you a home. Recently After several months of trying Charlie and I found out I was infertile and could never conceive a baby. We put in our papers to become adoptive parents a month before you were born. When I had found out you were going up for adoption I talked to Charlie and once he was for it I talked to the social worker assigned to your case.

Because your life was in danger in that hospital papers were rushed and things progressed much faster in the adoption processes then in a normal case. After we were approved you came home to us, the first week was wonderful but somehow it got out where you were and again death threats started. Charlie set up a security system around our home. It was late at night when the alarms went off we ran to your room and the window had been partly opened but you were fine.

I have never been so glad that my intuition went off telling me to bring you into our room. Later some angry teens lit a torch and threw it into your room, had you been in there you would have died. After that we had decided it was too dangerous for you to be Mia Marie, and we had your name legally changed to Isabella. We kept your middle name wanting you to have some part of your mother with you forever.

After your name was changed we moved to Forks into this house, Charlie and I had been together for so long it was very possible that I had been pregnant before we left, and have given birth then came back that we never corrected anyone who assumed that. It was also so much safer for you the less people who knew. So we hid away your adoption certificate and had decided to just keep the truth from you.

It was very wrong of Bella and I know I speak for both Charlie and I when I say we are so very sorry." Renee finally ended her twisted tale. I took a shaky breathe and nodded slowly.

"I-I need a moment please." I whispered and stood up. I walked to the door and turned as I saw Edward stand.

"Alone, please Edward." I spoke. Edward look crestfallen but nodded. I walked out into the woods and sat on a fallen tree. I held my knees to my chest and sat there wondering how I could possibly move on after learning all of this. A little while later I finally returned home and packed a bag.

"I'm sorry mom, dad but I have to stay over at the Cullen's for a few nights I just can't stay here right now, I just can't" I pleaded. Charlie looked like he wanted to argue but Renee stopped him.

"That's fine Bella." Renee allowed. I went to Edward's Volvo without another word. It was late at night and while I was cuddled into Edwards embrace I finally asked something that had stayed in my head.

"Edward, does this change what you think of me now. Do you still wish to marry me?" I questioned. Edward's arms tightened but he turned me around to make me look deep into his honey eyes.

"No Bella, despite what you have learned you are still Isabella Marie Swan just how you got to be who you are today is different than most kids. I don't think any less of you and I will be absolutely ecstatic to watch you walk down that isle in your white dress and become my wife. Nothing could ever change how I feel about you." Edward promised. Finally for the first time since I found my adoption certificate a small smile graced my lips. I closed my eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep. No matter my past, my future was still looking very bright.


End file.
